'Guns Across America': Second Amendment supporters gather in Salem

View full sizeBud Jones joins hundreds of protesters on the steps of the Oregon State Capitol opposed to new gun control measures proposed this week by President Barack Obama. Stephen Beaven/The Oregonian

SALEM -- Hundreds of Second Amendment supporters converged Saturday morning on the steps of the state Capitol to voice their opposition to gun control measures being proposed after the Connecticut school shooting.

Carrying rifles on their backs and handguns strapped to their thighs, protesters carried American flags and signs that said “Freedom” and “Impeach Obama.” They bobbed their heads to Neil Diamond’s “America.”

And they were defiant in their opposition to gun control proposals President Barack Obama made Wednesday.

Bud Jones, a Vietnam combat veteran from Jefferson, said rather than impose more restrictions on automatic weapons, elected leaders should focus on mental health education and gun-safety measures.